A Utility deploying an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) or Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system uses a set of software tools to perform the installation, maintenance, service, diagnostics and configuration of the metering endpoints (meters). Each tool has a different interface, different data format, and often duplicated configuration that an administrator needs to create for the different tools. These tools run on legacy handheld devices which are expensive and have low performance and usability compared to modern mobile devices (e.g., tablets, smartphones). Also, different tools are usually required for the different operations (i.e., a tool for installation, a tool for maintenance) and each tool requires individual setup on each handheld device. Usually the transfer of the data to and from the handheld device (e.g. data acquired during field service) requires the handheld to be physically docked to a hard-wired connection on some local desktop computer or server which then publishes the data for an administrator. Accordingly, the management of the AMI/AMR system is often complex and expensive due to the need for many tools, the complex and expensive setup required for each one, the support required for legacy low-performance and low-usability handheld devices, and the fact that the data can be transmitted back to the utility office only by docking the handheld device to a hard-wired local connection.
The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein. Thus, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system is unsuitable for use with the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential in implementing the innovations described herein. The implementations and application of the innovations described herein are defined by the appended claims.